Progress 07/15/24 to 07/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Living with Panhandle Fires in the 21st Century: Lessons from the 2024 Panhandle Wildfiresaddresses the 2024 Panhandle Wildfires, targeting stakeholders to promote wildfire mitigation, enhance rangeland resilience, and protect food supply chains in the Texas Panhandle. Outreach delivers science-based information through tailored programs, workshops, and communication channels. Below is a description of the target audiences reached during 2024-2025, their roles, needs, and outreach efforts. 1. County Extension Agents Role: Agents in Roberts, Hemphill, Moore, Gray, and Oldham counties bridge research and application, supporting ranchers and communities with education and technical assistance post-2024 wildfires. Needs: Science-based data on wildfire impacts and pre-fire management. Training on burn severity maps and management practices. Tools for engaging diverse communities and preparing for climatic extremes. Outreach: North Region Training (Jan 2025): Trained agents using burn severity maps to understand wildfire patterns and management impacts, completed by Month 8. Surveys: Assessed knowledge gained and adoption intent, refining future programs. Co-Development: Agents helped design outreach, ensuring relevance. Impact: Agents became effective educators, supporting climate-smart practices and community preparedness. 2. Landowners and Ranchers Role: Manage rangelands critical to food supply chains, heavily impacted by wildfires. Needs: Data on plant community recovery. Knowledge of mitigation strategies like prescribed burning, mowing, grazing. Accessible solutions for economic recovery. Inclusive outreach for socially disadvantaged groups. Outreach: Great Plains Fire Summit (Aug 2024): Shared plant community findings in Canyon, TX. Society for Range Management Meetings (Oct 2024, Feb 2025): Presented data in Victoria, TX, and Spokane, WA. Hemphill County Beef Conference (Apr 2025): Delivered results in Canadian, TX, with inclusive invitations. Factsheets/Social Media: Produced accessible content with partners like Prairie Project. Workshops (2025): Focused on Prescribed Burn Associations and preparedness plans. Impact: Landowners adopted mitigation practices, with inclusive efforts ensuring equitable access. 3. County Officials and Emergency Management Coordinators Role: Develop community preparedness plans, influencing policies and safety. Needs: Data-driven mitigation strategies. Collaboration with stakeholders. Public safety tools. Outreach: Engagement: Collaborated with agents to involve officials in workshops. Panel Discussions (2025): Shared findings with Texas A&M Forest Service and contractors. Surveys: Assessed adoption intent to refine engagement. Impact: Officials integrated findings into preparedness plans, enhancing community resilience. 4. Volunteer Fire Departments and Fire Contractors Role: Frontline responders managing wildfires. Needs: Training on mitigation practices. Access to remote sensing and burn severity data. Community coordination. Outreach: Workshops (2025): Trained firefighters on fuel reduction strategies. Great Plains Fire Summit (Aug 2024): Shared findings for firefighting applications. Factsheets: Distributed management tools. Impact: Firefighters improved response capabilities with enhanced tools and knowledge. 5. Rangeland Professionals and Researchers Role: Advance rangeland management science and policy. Needs: Data on management effectiveness. Resources for educational curricula. Collaboration opportunities. Outreach: Society for Range Management Meetings (Oct 2024, Feb 2025): Shared findings. RWFM Webinar (2025): Delivered by Dr. Perotto on technology integration. Prescribed Burn School: Integrated results into Texas Department of Agriculture curriculum. Impact: Professionals gained research to inform policy and training, promoting sustainable practices. 6. Socially Disadvantaged Communities Role: Impacted groups needing equitable resource access. Needs: Accessible information. Economic recovery support. Culturally sensitive outreach. Outreach: Inclusive Programming: Invited to conferences and workshops. Collaboration: Engaged via agents and community leaders. Social Media/Blogs: Disseminated accessible content. Impact: Ensured equitable access, fostering community resilience. 7. General Public and Media Role: Support mitigation policies; media amplifies findings. Needs: Clear wildfire risk information. Engaging narratives. Trustworthy content. Outreach: Podcast (2025): Dr. Perotto on "GRAZE" shared practical applications. Social Media/Blogs: Highlighted technologies and recovery. Factsheets: Provided actionable information. Impact: Increased public awareness and support for preparedness. Conclusion The project engaged diverse audiences through tailored outreach, delivering knowledge on wildfire mitigation and recovery. Collaborative and inclusive efforts fostered resilience and equitable access in the Texas Panhandle. Changes/Problems:We have had some challenges in getting our post-doc hired and have pivoted to student technicians and graduate students to help assist with field work. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Living with Panhandle Fires in the 21st Century: Lessons from the 2024 Panhandle Wildfiresdelivered targeted training and professional development opportunities to enhance stakeholders' ability to mitigate wildfires and bolster agroecosystem resilience. These efforts equipped County Extension Agents, landowners, rangeland professionals, volunteer fire departments, contractors, and other stakeholders with science-based knowledge and practical skills through tailored programs, workshops, and educational resources. 1. North Region County Agent Training (January 2025) Description: A specialized training program for County Extension Agents in Roberts, Hemphill, Moore, Gray, and Oldham counties was completed by Month 8 (January 2025). The training utilized high-resolution burn severity maps from Sentinel (10-m resolution, 13 bands, weekly) and Planet (3-m resolution, 8 bands, daily) imagery to analyze wildfire patterns and the effects of prescribed burning, mowing, and grazing. Objectives: Equip agents with skills to interpret burn severity data and advise landowners on wildfire mitigation. Enhance understanding of how pre-fire management practices influence wildfire outcomes and post-fire recovery. Foster co-development of outreach materials to ensure relevance for local communities. Details: Content included the use of Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Burned Area Index (BAI) for assessing burn severity, alongside practical applications of fuel reduction strategies. Retrospective surveys assessed knowledge gained and agents' intent to adopt rangeland professional toolkit practices, providing feedback to refine future programs. Agents collaborated in designing outreach, strengthening their capacity to address local challenges and prepare for climatic extremes like droughts or uneven precipitation. Impact: Agents became effective educators, capable of guiding landowners in adopting climate-smart practices, enhancing community preparedness, and supporting agroecosystem resilience. 2. Community Workshops for Volunteer Fire Departments and Landowners (2025) Description: Tailored workshops, developed with Texas A&M Forest Service and contractors like Western Fire Resources, were held in 2025 in Canadian, Borger, and Pampa. These workshops targeted volunteer fire departments and landowners, focusing on integrating project findings into wildfire mitigation and preparedness strategies. Objectives: Train firefighters on how prescribed burning, mowing, and grazing reduce fuel loads and wildfire severity. Educate landowners on forming Prescribed Burn Associations and developing community wildfire preparedness plans. Provide practical tools, including remote sensing data, for disaster response and recovery. Details: Workshops highlighted project findings on burn severity and vegetation recovery, emphasizing actionable strategies. Training materials, including factsheets, detailed the use of remote sensing and drone imagery for situational awareness. Surveys evaluated participants' knowledge gains and adoption intentions, ensuring programs met community needs. Inclusive outreach engaged socially disadvantaged communities through targeted invitations. Impact: Firefighters gained enhanced response capabilities, while landowners were empowered to implement mitigation practices and contribute to community preparedness plans, fostering regional resilience. 3. Great Plains Fire Summit Session (August 2024) Description: A dedicated session at the Great Plains Fire Summit (August 13-15, 2024, Canyon, TX) presented preliminary findings on plant community trajectories post-wildfire, targeting landowners, firefighters, and agency representatives. Objectives: Share early insights on vegetation recovery and the role of pre-fire management in reducing wildfire impacts. Provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss practical applications of findings. Build networks for collaborative wildfire mitigation efforts. Details: The session showcased data from early vegetation sampling and remote sensing analyses, completed within 90 days of project start. Discussions focused on how prescribed burns and grazing lowered burn severity, encouraging adoption of these practices. Materials were designed to be accessible, supporting diverse stakeholder engagement. Impact: Participants gained actionable knowledge for immediate recovery efforts, strengthening stakeholder collaboration and early adoption of mitigation strategies. 4. Society for Range Management Meetings (October 2024, February 2025) Description: Presentations at the Texas Section of Society for Range Management Annual Meeting (October 2024, Victoria, TX) and the national meeting (February 2025, Spokane, WA) provided professional development for rangeland professionals, researchers, and landowners. Objectives: Disseminate detailed findings on burn severity and plant community responses in areas managed with prescribed burning, mowing, or grazing. Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among rangeland experts. Promote integration of project findings into rangeland management practices. Details: The Texas meeting focused on regional applications, while the national meeting reached a broader audience with comprehensive results. Sessions included data from six vegetation sampling periods and monthly image classifications, validated by drone and field data. Discussions emphasized practical tools for wildfire mitigation and recovery. Impact: Rangeland professionals gained cutting-edge insights, enhancing their ability to advise landowners and inform policy, while landowners were encouraged to adopt evidence-based practices. 5. RWFM Stewardship Webinar (2025) Description: Dr. Perotto delivered a webinar in 2025 through the RWFM Stewardship series, targeting rangeland professionals, researchers, and extension agents. Objectives: Translate project findings on remote sensing and management practices into actionable strategies. Enhance professionals' understanding of new technologies for wildfire mitigation. Support integration of findings into educational and advisory roles. Details: The webinar covered the use of Sentinel, Planet, and drone imagery in assessing burn severity and recovery. It highlighted the efficacy of prescribed burning and grazing in reducing wildfire impacts. Interactive elements allowed participants to engage with data and ask questions. Impact: Professionals gained skills to incorporate advanced technologies into their work, strengthening their advisory and educational roles in wildfire management. 6. Texas Department of Agriculture Prescribed Burn School Curriculum Integration Description: Project findings were integrated into the Texas Department of Agriculture's Prescribed Burn School curriculum for Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Managers, with support from TDA Lead Burn Instructors. Objectives: Train burn managers in evidence-based prescribed burning techniques for wildfire mitigation. Ensure long-term dissemination of project findings through formal education. Enhance professional standards for prescribed fire implementation. Details: Curriculum updates included data on burn severity reduction and vegetation recovery in prescribed burn areas. Both online and in-person courses were enhanced with project results, focusing on practical applications. Training emphasized safe and effective prescribed fire techniques informed by the project's research. Impact: Burn managers were equipped with science-based knowledge, improving the quality and safety of prescribed burns and promoting widespread adoption of mitigation practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Living with Panhandle Fires in the 21st Century: Lessons from the 2024 Panhandle Wildfires disseminated results to communities of interest through diverse, targeted channels. Preliminary findings were shared at the Great Plains Fire Summit (August 2024), followed by presentations at the Texas Section (October 2024) and national Society for Range Management meetings (February 2025). Local landowners were reached via the Hemphill County Beef Conference (April 2025) and community workshops, with inclusive outreach for socially disadvantaged groups. County Extension Agents were trained in January 2025, using burn severity maps. Results were integrated into the Texas Department of Agriculture's Prescribed Burn School curriculum and shared via a 2025 RWFM Stewardship Webinar and "GRAZE" podcast. Factsheets and social media, produced with partners like the Prairie Project, ensured broad accessibility, empowering stakeholders with actionable wildfire mitigation strategies. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will finalize data analysis from the 2024 Panhandle Wildfires, completing monthly image classifications through April 2025 and preparing manuscripts for publication. The team will produce a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet summarizing findings on prescribed burning, mowing, and grazing impacts, targeting landowners and stakeholders. Additional community workshops will be held to promote Prescribed Burn Associations and wildfire preparedness plans, with continued engagement of socially disadvantaged communities. Collaboration with County Extension Agents will refine outreach based on retrospective survey feedback, and integration of findings into the Texas Department of Agriculture's Prescribed Burn School curriculum will be expanded, ensuring broader adoption of climate-smart practices.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Living with Panhandle Fires in the 21st Century: Lessons from the 2024 Panhandle Wildfiresaddressed the critical need to assess the role of prescribed fire, grazing, and mowing in mitigating future wildfires and enhancing agroecosystem resilience in the Texas Panhandle following the 2024 wildfires. The project achieved its objectives by evaluating burn severity, analyzing the spatial and temporal impacts of fuel reduction practices, and disseminating findings to stakeholders through targeted outreach. Below is a summary of accomplishments aligned with the stated goals and objectives, within 8,000 characters. Objective 1: Evaluate Burn Severity Across the 2024 Texas Panhandle Wildfires The project successfully evaluated burn severity across the Smokehouse Creek, Windy Deuce, Grape Vine Creek, and Magenta wildfires, focusing on areas with prescribed burns, non-prescribed burns, burn-out operations, mowing, grazing, and wildfire-impacted zones. Using Sentinel imagery (10-m resolution, 13 bands, weekly) and Planet imagery (3-m resolution, 8 bands, daily), the team assessed spatial burn severity distribution. Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) for Sentinel and Burned Area Index (BAI) for Planet highlighted burnt areas, enabling comparative analysis of treated versus untreated areas. Vegetation cover sampling, conducted bi-monthly at identified locations in Borger, Skellytown, and Canadian, Texas, provided data on post-fire recovery. Drone imagery (RGB and multispectral, 1.5-5 cm resolution) using NDAA-compliant Trinity Pro and Alta-X drones complemented satellite data, ensuring high-resolution insights. By May 2025, six sampling periods were completed, and monthly image classifications through April 2025 quantified land cover changes and recovery trends. These analyses confirmed that prescribed burns and grazing reduced burn severity compared to untreated areas, supporting the hypothesis that rangeland management tools mitigate wildfire intensity. Objective 2: Understand the Temporal and Spatial Role of Fuel Reduction Practices The project advanced understanding of how prescribed burning, mowing, and grazing influence burn severity and post-fire recovery. Pre-fire and post-fire imagery analyses, validated with field data, revealed temporal and spatial patterns. Areas with prior prescribed burns or grazing exhibited lower burn severity and faster vegetation regrowth than mowed or untreated areas. Monthly image classifications (April 2024-April 2025) and drone flights (November 2024-March 2025, weather permitting) provided novel insights into vegetation dynamics. Landscape-level analyses showed that fuel reduction practices enhanced agroecosystem resilience by reducing fuel loads, limiting wildfire extent, and promoting recovery. By March 2025, comprehensive assessments were completed, identifying specific management practices that minimized wildfire impacts. These findings supported the hypothesis that professional rangeland tools build resilient agroecosystems, providing actionable data for stakeholders. Objective 3: Communicate Findings to Stakeholders The project effectively communicated results to landowners, Volunteer Fire Departments, contractors, Texas A&M Forest Service, and County Extension Agents through diverse channels, fostering adoption of climate-smart practices. Great Plains Fire Summit (August 2024): Preliminary findings on plant community trajectories were presented in Canyon, Texas, engaging landowners and stakeholders within 90 days of project start. The session highlighted recovery strategies and pre-fire management benefits. Society for Range Management Meetings: Findings were shared at the Texas Section meeting (October 2024, Victoria, TX) and the national meeting (February 2025, Spokane, WA), reaching landowners and rangeland professionals with data on burn severity and recovery in treated areas. Hemphill County Beef Conference (April 2025): Results were delivered to local landowners in Canadian, Texas, emphasizing practical applications of prescribed burning, mowing, and grazing. Inclusive outreach ensured socially disadvantaged communities participated. North Region County Agent Training (January 2025): Agents in Roberts, Hemphill, Moore, Gray, and Oldham counties were trained on burn severity maps and management practices, completed by Month 8. Retrospective surveys assessed knowledge gained and adoption intent. Community Workshops (2025): Tailored workshops, developed with Texas A&M Forest Service and contractors like Western Fire Resources, trained Volunteer Fire Departments and landowners on mitigation strategies and preparedness plans. Surveys provided feedback to refine programs. RWFM Stewardship Webinar (2025): Dr. Perotto delivered findings on remote sensing and management practices, targeting rangeland professionals. Texas Department of Agriculture Prescribed Burn School: Results were integrated into the curriculum for Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Managers, ensuring long-term dissemination. "GRAZE" Podcast (2025): An interview with Dr. Perotto, hosted by Hale and Floyd County Extension Agents, shared findings with a broad audience. Factsheets and Social Media: Collaborations with Prairie Project, Climate Hub, West Texas Rangelands, and Great Plains Fire Science Exchange produced factsheets and social media content on disaster assessment, forage loss, and mitigation technologies, reaching diverse stakeholders. By May 2025, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet summarized results, and manuscripts for publication were prepared, ensuring widespread dissemination. Hypothesis Validation The driving hypothesis--that rangeland tools like prescribed burning, mowing, and grazing reduce wildfire intensity and extent while enhancing agroecosystem resilience--was validated. Areas with prescribed burns and grazing showed lower burn severity and faster recovery, supporting resilient food supply chains and communities. These findings informed practical strategies for stakeholders, equipping them to mitigate future wildfires.

Publications